A Broken Soul
by Winterleaf and Feathercrest
Summary: Hawkfrost is filled with hate and lust for power, but he needed an accomplice. Brambleclaw has failed, and will probably never see the sun again! Squirrelflight must admit to herself her passions, before Brambleclaw gets killed!


A soft light fell over the pale lake, the silhouette of a small cat catching the moons rays. Her dark ginger fur looked almost silver in the moon washed sky, her whiskers like diamonds as she washed her forepaw. A slight tremor of leaves made the cat turn, and she opened her mouth to scent the air. Her tongue tasted something familiar, mingled with almost the same scent. Her emerald eyes brightened. "Brambleclaw?" she muttered, taking a tentative step towards the quavering leaves. She crouched low to the ground, her belly fur scraping up against the log on which she perched. She gazed back at the small island that connected the log to land, but heaved a sigh. Brambleclaw wouldn't meet her there tonight. Her ears pricked as the sounds grew closer, her chin resting on her paws. Then, the rankest stench she had ever encountered flooded over her, making her stumble. _Hawkfrost! _She thought, trying to keep as silent as possible. Her whiskers twitched as a dark brown paw emerged from the bush. The she-cat held her breath as a looming body followed the paw, the cat's broad shoulders and white chest undeniably real. "You!" she seethed, straightening herself. Her fur reached towards the velvety sky, and her claws scraped the hard wood as she let out a ferocious hiss. "Traitor!" she scathed. Her eyes were blazing with anger, and her heart thudded with rage. The tom laughed, his voice piercing the silence. "Oh no, it is not I who is the traitor, Squirrelflight, it is your dear friend." His icy eyes blazed with hostility as he dragged out a limp form. Squirrelflight gasped. "Brambleclaw!" her cry was not in vain, for the sight that was before her was almost too horrible to bear. Brambleclaw's once proud form was matted with blood, and his fur was strewn about, leaving patches of torn flesh to be seen. Bone was visible, almost everywhere. His eyes were swollen shut, and his legs hung at awkward angles, leaving a trail of fresh blood as his prone form was revealed. A jagged scar raced down his spine, leaving a trench in his broken body. Squirrelflight's eyes grew thick with grief. "NO!" she yowled, racing up to him. Hawkfrost threw Brambleclaw to the ground, watching in mock silence as Squirrelflight caressed Brambleclaw's body. Squirrelflight pressed her nose deep into his fur, a heavy stone falling on her heart. She leaned close to his torn ear, "Brambleclaw?" she whispered, noting the slow, ragged rise and fall of his chest. A small, almost unintelligible word slipped from his mouth. "Squirrelflight." His voice was ragged and heavy, like a cold boulder dropping into a dark abyss. Squirrelflight nuzzled his neck, wrapping her tail around his. "It'll be alright, Brambleclaw. Stay with me." She whispered. She got to her paws, a new fire ignited in her jade green eyes. "You…murderer!" she howled, baring her teeth at Hawkfrost. "What did you do to him!" she spat, hissing. "Oh, that? That was nothing. He wouldn't cooperate. That's all. He lost his sense of loyalty. He forgot his past, present, and future, so I righted him." A terrible, sickly gleam clouded Hawkfrost's eyes, tearing through Squirrelflight's pelt. "I'll rip you to shreds for what you have done to him!" she yowled, flexing her claws. "Why? What is he to you? I thought he abandoned you!" Hawkfrost laughed. Squirrelflight shrank away, horrified at his words. "You twisted snake! You lie!" she swung her haunches, preparing to spring. Hawkfrost only chuckled. "Why would you want to fight for this, _traitor_, as you say? What's so special about him?" Hawkfrost turned his gaze to Brambleclaw's still body, a cold hate welling up inside his icy chambers. Squirrelflight kneaded the ground. "Because….because...I.."

"You what? What did you say my dear?" Hawkfrost's eyes held none other than a menacing glare, scorching Squirrelflight's fur.

"I," Squirrelflight started. She closed her eyes, remembering Brambleclaw's and her journey to the Sun-drown place. His clever comments, and his warm fur. His sweet scent. In a second, Squirrelflight knew her answer. "Because I love him." She finally cried, leaping onto Hawkfrost's back. Hawkfrost yowled in surprise, screeching in fury as he tried to detach the ginger warrior from hi back. Squirrelflight dug her claws deep into his shoulders, ripping his flesh. The sticky taste of blood filled Squirrelflight's mouth as she clamped her jaws on Hawkfrost's neck. He yowled and threw Squirrelflight off of his back, howling in pain and rage. His powerful claws flew over Squirrelflight's face, blood seeping into her eyes. She cried out in fury, a beast emerging from her soul. It had been locked up for so long, and now, it unleashed itself with a renewed fury, roaring in grief and anguish for her loved one. She threw herself at Hawkfrost, knocking both of them into the icy waters below. Even in the water, Squirrelflight thrashed and struck her enemy with searing claws. Blood cascaded through the water, turning the shimmering liquid an acrid red. Their heads broke the surface, and instantly, the night was filled with screeches and yowls. Water splashed everywhere, blinding Squirrelflight. She swam hard towards the shore, but powerful claws and teeth drug her down. _He is a RIVERCLAN warrior! He knows the water! What were you thinking? _A voice told her. Her lungs burned with the need for air, and her head felt sharp and pained by lack of oxygen. She scrambled and lashed out, striking Hawkfrost in the face. She finally reached the shore, her pelt sagging and laden with water. She shook herself, wondering if her opponent had suffered. No such luck. She watched with dismay as a dark figure hauled itself out of the lake on the opposing shore, its icy eyes shooting a last glare at her before it disappeared into the night. Squirrelflight swayed, and fell into a darkness of her mind.

A small cry alerted Squirrelflight back to her senses, her eyes foggy with fatigue and her muscles sore. She lay there, breathing hard and swallowing mouthfuls of air. A pale tabby stood before her, her amber eyes carefully watching Squirrelflight. "Leafpool?" Squirrelflight wheezed. Leafpool nodded, and stuffed an herb into Squirrelflight's mouth. Squirrelflight almost gagged, but swallowed I nonetheless. "Brambleclaw!" she suddenly jolted up, darting towards her fallen clan mate. "Is he ok?" Squirrelflight said, anxiety clawing at her like Hawkfrost's claws. Leafpool shook her head. "He isn't conscious, but I have cleaned his wounds and dressed them as best I could. All we can hope for now is a miracle." Her amber eyes softened as they met her sisters. "Its Ok, Squirrelflight. You did well." Squirrelflight was puzzled. "I felt your pain as you fought with Hawkfrost. His scent lingers here still, and his blood is rank in the grass. I came as soon as I could, and saw Brambleclaw. I gave him some herbs, and then he slipped away into unconsciousness. He only said a few words." Leafpool said. Squirrelflight's eyes grew wide. "What did he say?" she asked, her claws tearing up the soil beneath her. Leafpool sighed, a glint of grief clouding through her eyes. "He said, 'Tell Squirrelflight to keep watch for me in the stars.' Then faded out of consciousness. " Leafpool's eyes tried to catch Squirrelflight's, but they were downcast and thick with grief, fatigue, and pending anger. Her eyes blazed, but she remained calm. "Well, if Hawkfrost ever crosses my path again, he will go to live in Underclan!" She spat, curling up beside Brambleclaw's body.


End file.
